Adapting the ROSTOCK Max to a laser cutter

[altarke]

Using some imagination (and not having any programing idea), I was wondering what would it involve giving the Rostock MAX 3d printer the ability to become a laser parts cutter. I imagine the hot head will need to be replaced with a laser head available on eBay (easily done) and the RAMBo board will need to be defined a bit different then it is now (a new EEPROM I imagine) .

Any ideas from anyone?

[626Pilot]

You could rig it up with a DVD-RW laser to cut foam, maybe balsa. You'll want to run it outside as it will be very stinky. Also, the work piece might catch on fire and melt your top plate. Get out a fire extinguisher and your insurance policy, just to be sure. For cutting anything serious (acrylic, plywood, etc.) you need at least a 40-watt CO2 laser, and those are far too enormous to be rigged up to a Rostock. Best bet is to get a laser table off Ebay if 12x12 to 24x12 is big enough for you. If you want to cut really big stuff (about 23x34 inches) SeeMeCNC sells an 80w laser. (Don't get one from that company that runs out of Las Vegas, they have a terrible support reputation.)

[altarke]

You could rig it up with a DVD-RW laser to cut foam, maybe balsa.

I want it to cut 3/8 on an inch wood pieces

you need at least a 40-watt CO2 laser, and those are far too enormous to be rigged up to a Rostock.

Don\t know a lot about this laser cutting topic but I may have seen some small once on eBay - they looked like they can fit quite nicely on the printer. This is a new research project for me, I am in the beginning stage of gathering info and examining the benefit, if any.

[hobbit666]

Don\t know a lot about this laser cutting topic but I may have seen some small once on eBay - they looked like they can fit quite nicely on the printer. This is a new research project for me, I am in the beginning stage of gathering info and examining the benefit, if any.

Linky to some you have found?

[Jimustanguitar]

you need at least a 40-watt CO2 laser, and those are far too enormous to be rigged up to a Rostock.

The 40W lasercutter that I've tinkered with has a 3" or 4" tube that's about 2 feet long. The laser tube is stationary, and mirrors at 45deg angles are on each gantry to bounce the beam down onto the work. The wiring going to it is high voltage too, so this would have to be carefully engineered.

I don't think it's practical to use a tube style laser on a Delta machine unless you could route the laser through fiber optics or something flexible like that. A moving laser tube would just be unwieldy. A laser diode might be a different story though. I don't know if they make them that big. Maybe others will know better than I do.

[626Pilot]

Don\t know a lot about this laser cutting topic but I may have seen some small once on eBay - they looked like they can fit quite nicely on the printer.

There are absolutely loads of lasers that are small and light enough to fit on the effector, but the question is how powerful they are. You don't want 40mW. You want 40,000mW.

[barry99705]

This build log will give you an idea on what Jimustanguitar is talking about.

http://buildyourtools.com/phpBB3/viewto ... 8cdd1802bf

I've never seen a solid state laser diode that can cut wood at the thickness you're talking about.

[lordbinky]

Maybe you can get away with a smaller laser if you have the printer do many small layer cuts. Then you could watch it cut hundreds of layers for 9 hours instead of print hundreds of layers for 9 hours.